Stigmella continuella
This record describes Stigmella continuella (species). Recorded family: Nepticulidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The adult moth has dark wings with a silvery fascia, orange head and white eyecaps. The larva mines the leaves of Birch, creating a gallery with a contorted start, filled with coiled frass.. Stigmella sakhalinella also makes a gallery with coiled frass, but not entirely filling it, and not from a contorted start. Provide a backlit photograph of the mine to show frass pattern; note host species The mines can be found in June and July, and occasionally in September. The adults are on the wing in May and August. The foodplant of this species is Birch. The larvae create a distinctive leaf mine which starts off with a brownish blotch and then becomes a gallery completely filled with greenish-brown frass. Mainly recorded in in southern and north-west England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local. http://www.leafmines.co.uk/html/Lepidoptera/S.continuella2.htm https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/lepidoptera/monotrysia/nepticuloidea/nepticulidae/stigmella/stigmella-continuella/
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nepticulidae
- Genus
- Stigmella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Areas where Birch is present.
Seasonal Activity
The mines can be found in June and July, and occasionally in September. The adults are on the wing in May and August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
The foodplant of this species is Birch. The larvae create a distinctive leaf mine which starts off with a brownish blotch and then becomes a gallery completely filled with greenish-brown frass.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Mainly recorded in in southern and north-west England. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Stigmella continuella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Stigmella continuella (6)
Frequently Asked Questions About Stigmella continuella
What is Stigmella continuella?
Stigmella continuella is a species in the family Nepticulidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Stigmella continuella found?
Habitat: Areas where Birch is present.
When is Stigmella continuella active?
Stigmella continuella: seasonal activity - The mines can be found in June and July, and occasionally in September. The adults are on the wing in May and August..
What is the life cycle of a Stigmella continuella?
The foodplant of this species is Birch. The larvae create a distinctive leaf mine which starts off with a brownish blotch and then becomes a gallery completely filled with greenish-brown frass.